Panaji: Muskaan (name changed), 13, a resident of Chimbel’s Indiranagar slums, recollects telling her construction worker father every day to get her a pizza and cupcakes. But it is only through the short story she recently got to pen that she felt satiated.“I could not have such food in reality but at least I could taste a cupcake in my story in which a vending machine breaks down and the protagonist finally gets her hands on the food,” Muskaan explained in Hindi.Paayal (name changed), 12, could similarly overcome her painful experience of bullying. In her story, the lead character, Chandni figures out how to get out of the situation in a non-violent manner in an inspiring story of resilience. The story was drawn from the ostracism she faced in reality for being a migrant in her own school.Their imagination was given wings by a series of workshops held recently for such young storytellers by Bookworm Libraries and the Communicare Trust. The children were encouraged to write, illustrate, and create stories inspired by their own lives and communities. The initiative brought together children from Bookworm Libraries in Seraulim, Saligao, Aldona, Chimbel, Cacra and Mala. Across 15 sessions, participants transformed their ideas into original stories while learning the craft of storytelling, drawing illustrations and hand-binding the anthology into books called Kalakriti.Another 13-year-old, who worked on illustration and book binding, said, “Figuring out dialogues by other children and making illustrations based on them was challenging, especially since we didn’t use any AI tools. Someday, maybe, I will have something to show my kids and say that your dad worked on this and it reached so many people.”Bookworm librarian, Sonali Shirodkar said that the effort addresses a long-standing gap in children’s literature by encouraging stories that reflect local cultures, neighbourhoods and everyday experiences. “When children see themselves represented in literature, they develop a stronger connection with reading and greater confidence in expressing themselves,” she added.The workshops also promoted multilingual learning, with stories developed in English, Konkani and Hindi, making them accessible to children from diverse linguistic backgrounds.“It was a challenge to work with children from diverse backgrounds and who speak different languages,” said Nalini Elvino de Sousa, manager at Communicare Trust.“The creative journey behind the series is deeply connected to grassroots community mentorship. The Communicare trust team, library coordinators, and children’s parents worked side by side with young authors. They guided the children from raw, initial ideas to the finished book. By publishing these youth-led stories in English, Hindi, and Konkani, the Kalakriti initiative keeps the literature accessible, relatable, and culturally aligned with the communities it serves. This approach bridges the gap between local heritage and global imagination,” she added.
